George-Andrei Ionita Undergraduate Dissertation 2015/16

Digital Signal Processing for Bass Guitar on Raspberry Pi

Supervised by G.Brown

Abstract

This dissertation aims to examine whether digital signal processing, particularly for bass guitar audio effects, can be performed on a small, low-cost device such as the Raspberry Pi. Two fundamental research questions motivate this project: (1) Can audio effects be implemented in real-time to a quality that is satisfactory to the musician?  (2) What are the limitations of using a small device with relatively low processing power, with respect to digital signal processing?

This report aims to provide a general introduction into existing digital signal processing techniques, predominantly focusing on audio signals and the ways in which these can be manipulated in a musical way. The report also describes how some of these previously mentioned techniques are utilised to design and implement an audio effects unit for a bass guitar. Finally, the results of this implementation are presented and evaluated by several musicians, followed by the conclusions that were drawn from this research project.